Houses Of Strength
by theglasspen
Summary: HGDM fic. Remember what the sorting hat said? Hogwarts is in danger...and we must unite inside her. Easier said then done.
1. Hermione's Diary

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters etc.

A/N: This is my first fanfic, I could really do with advice and reviews, so please press that button down there. Also, the story will not be written in diary format throughout.

Dear Diary,

Like that's not the corniest line in the world! But it's the only appropriate opening to this book. Well, not really a book but..

I suppose the regular thing would be to introduce the main character. Me. Hermione Granger, pleased to make your acquaintance. Shall i describe myself? Well, I am of average height, brown eyes and horrible frizzy brown hair. BORING! Still, Viktor likes it. Or did like it. But no more! The long-distance relationship thing just wasn't for him.

But that's the past and let's not dwell on it. Instead let's talk(or write, as the case may be) about the present, however horrible the present may be.

I knew today was going to be a bad day from the minute I woke up late. Late for Potions as well! Of all classes! I hurriedly got dressed and ran down to the dungeons. Of course that meant that I arrived at Snapes classroom as red as a tomato and out of breath. I opened the door and the whole class turned and stared at me. I saw Draco Malfoy laugh at something Pansy Parkinson whispered to him-something obviously about me. For some reason I felt sad. Why did i always make a fool of myself around him. Of course _he_ looked perfectly composed and almost handsome in his..OMG! I did NOT just think that! No! No no no no NO! He is most definetely not anyway attractive. He's far too conceited as well. Not at all my type. Definetely not.

Anyway, I turned away and faced Snape. Wheezingly I said, "Sorry Proffessor, I overslept."

"Well perhaps then Miss Granger you won't oversleep again if it means losing house points?" Snape looked at her coldly, "Ten points from Gryffinor for your tardiness."

I bowed my head and took a seat beside Neville. Slowly I began to take out my ingredients and work quietly on my potion. The rest of the class passed quietly until, right before the end I felt something hit my back. Turning around I saw Pansy laughing and pointing to the ground. Looking down I saw a scrunched up piece of paper at my feet. I picked it up and flattened it out. It read:

**POTTER FINDS SOUL MATE AT LAST**

_Mr. Harry Potter has at last found love and trust in his longtime friend Hermione Granger. He confesses that it is a relief to have someone to confide in at last and that the two friends are now very much in love. "Hermione is wonderful. I still can't get over how long it's taken me to realize it." Said Mr. Potter upon being asked about the current situation. Miss Granger too was obviously in a dream like glow of happiness from the look on her face as she talked about her new boyfriend, " Harry is strong and brave. I know I can depend on him. I've always cared about him, now I know he feels the same way.". The happy couple have been reported to be seen holding hands in between classes and kissing in the Gryffindor common room. Indeed it's quite obvious that young love is blossoming at Hogwarts already!_

And below the article was a note from Pansy:

**-First Krum, now Potter, my, my, you do go through them fast don't you? Lock up your boyfriends girls, Granger's coming!**

The article is nonsense of course. Written by none other than Rita Skeeter who, having kept her quill to herself for a year, is now back in full swing. She always did have a thing against me, but really! As if! Me and Harry? No way! Harry is a good friend but how, eugh..would it be to.. NO! No way! I can't believe anyone could believe that!

Anyway, just as I was about to put the stupid note away, Snape appeared and snatched it off the desk. After he had clearly read it he looked down at me and said, "Another ten points from Gryffindor. Your love life is not as important nor as interesting as my lesson, Miss Granger."

After that the day continued badly. Harry got upset over the article and didn't talk for the rest of the day. He seemed to think I had said something to Rita! He got all annoyed and shouted at me that this was soo NOT what he needed right now. Like it's what I need?! I swear sometimes I just feel like strangling him! He can get so wrapped up in his own head that he forgets other people have problems too! And Ron, well he was no use. He's completely besotted by a new girl called Laurette. All he can manage to do at the moment is listen to Laurette, look at Laurette, talk about Laurette.. but never talk TO Laurette. And on top of that, I didn't do half as well as I thought I had on my Arithmancy test-only 70!

I don't know what it is but it's as if everyone's drifting away from me. There doesn't seem to be anyone to talk to anymore or laugh with. What's happened to everyone? And another thing, why is the only person who does seem to be around, have to be my enemy Draco Malfoy? He is everywhere I go! Seriously, I can't get away from him. You know when you don't want to see someone they always end up there, well that's what it's like. He was even in the library, for Gods sake! Since when has he ever been there?! And why? It's not like he is suddenly keen to learn! Eurgh, my one refuge and now it's gone! Next he'll be sitting up the front of the class!

Dinner was a horrible experience with no one talking. I barely ate anything because I just wanted to get out of there as fast as I could. Though I wasn't fast enough because as I was heading for the door, Pansy walked towards me. She looked kind of annoyed. Before I could slip away, she cornered me and whispered, "I don't care what you do with Potter or anyone else, but stay away from Draco. He's a Slytherin and way out of your league. So stop following him. You don't have a chance.". With that she walked back to the Slytherin table, before I could defend myself. But..how could she think I would be interested in Malfoy? Also, what did she mean, 'stop following him'? I haven't been following him, he's been following me! Oh, now the whole school will think I like him! This is not good!

I'm hungry. Why didn't I grab a sandwich before I left? I think I'll go get something from the kitchens before bed. After all it's only 8:30 and I'm still allowed about the castle. Though I don't expect there to be many about, even prefects, the castle's not usually very exciting with no one around.


	2. An Unusual Conversation

**A/N: Ok, so no one ever reads this but, just to say, V.I.W. Stands for Very Important Wizard. Oh and please press that button at the bottom, go on, you know you want to!**

**Disclaimer: You know I don't own the characters.**

* * *

Draco Malfoy sat at the back of the Potions classroom, prodding the dying flames beneath his cauldron with his wand. The flames weren't getting any bigger and eventually there was a little sizzle and the last spark went out. Malfoy sighed, nothing was going right for him these days, even simple magic seemed to be backfiring on him. It was like everything just turned it's back on him this year, including Professor Snape who no longer seemed to think of him as his golden boy. Malfoy had just scraped his way into the N.E.W.T. Potion class, though when he'd seen who was taking it with him he'd considered changing his mind. Granger, Potter, Longbottom, Pansy, and one or two other nameless people from Ravenclaw. How Longbottom had gotten into the class was a mystery to him but he had over heard the fool telling Weasel that he needed it along with Herbology to get the job he was considering. 

Malfoy put up his hand and Snape walked over to him. "Sir, my flames have gone out and my wand is malfunctioning, it won't re light them," he told the professor.

"Your wand is not working? Powerful magical objects like wands do not _malfunction_ Mr. Malfoy. Try again,". Malfoy picked up his wand and again spoke the incantation for fire, but all the happened was the wand omitted a little puff of grey smoke.

"Ahh..I see...Malfoy, give me your wand, I will take it to Mr. Olivander this week and he may take care of the problem," Snape said briskly, snatching the wand from Malfoy.

"Problem, Sir?" Malfoy asked, confused.

"Occasionally, a wand has been known to take a rather unpleasant turn against it's wizard. No one is particularly sure why, but it can have disastrous consequences if not dealt with immediately,"

"What kind of consequences?"

"Well, let's put it like this shall we?, the last wizard who's wand turned on him ended up in hospital with green fungus all over his body and one of his arms missing," Professor Snape looked solemn, "Don't worry Malfoy, you'll have your wand back by the end of the week,".

* * *

Malfoy sat at a small desk in the back of the Slytherin common room, away from all the noise. He was bent over a notebook, unaware that a lock of his blonde hair had fallen into his ink pot. He was scribbling furiously across the page, hurrying to get whatever it was down, as though he was worried someone would sneak up and read over his shoulder. 

_Journal,_

_Why must I write in this damned thing anyway? Oh, because of Father, "Every Malfoy is very important and important people always keep a history of their lives. It is a family tradition and you Draco, will not break it,". Who cares about damn traditions?! This is so stupid, I have nothing to write about that's very worthwhile. My day was it's usual boringness. _

_Yesterday, I had a run in with Potty and Weasel. They we're talking about something or another as we waited for Care of Magical Creatures (which we still have to take!) and for a laugh I decided to get Potter annoyed, after all I was bored and it's always funny watching him lose it. _

_"Hey Potter, what's wrong with you these days? Sad because your criminal friend died? Aww! Boo Hoo!" I said._

_"Shut it Malfoy," was the reply._

_"That's all? Where's the fight? Turned into a coward, have you? You and Longbottom should set up a club,"_

_The next thing i knew Potter and Weasley had turned around and were both pointing their wands at me. I reached for my own, but it wasn't there. That's when I remembered that Snape had taken my wand the other day- something about a malfunction. My heart sank, I was dead._

_"Oh yeah!" said Weasley, it suddenly dawning on him,"How does it feel to be defenceless, Malfoy?". I just stared at the two wands._

_"Tarantallegra!" shouted Potter at the same time as Weasley yelled, "Rictusempra!"_

_The combination of the two spells was that I did an awkward back-flip in mid air as I was thrown off my feet and slammed into the wall._

_I had to crawl my way to the hospital wing, with Pansy helping me up the stairs. I told Madam Pomfrey I'd fallen down the stairs._

_I'll have to be careful for the rest of the week, it's hard surviving without magic. How do muggle's manage?! I should ask Granger she's practically a muggle. Muggle-born anyway and that's basically being a muggle. Ha! Imagine talking to Granger! She never talks, only lectures, usually only about how bad you are at something and how great she is. _

_Like the time last week when I got my potion all wrong and she came over and started to dictate to me about what I'd done wrong exactly and how __her potion had turned out perfect. I told her to stuff it and she got all huffy and turned away, retying her hair with a green ribbon. She looked quite pretty then, with her fringe to the side and framing her eyes. But, no! Granger is an annoying know-it-all and always will be no matter what she does with her hair!_

_Later,_

_Draco Malfoy V.I.W._

"Whatchya writing Draco?" Asked Pansy Parkinson, a girl with a face like a pug.

"What? Oh emm, nothing, just homework," he told her in a fluster.

"Want to come play chess with me? You could teach me how, I'm awful bad. I lost horribly to Sandra this morning,"

"Oh, no thanks, i have to go, emm, send a letter to my father," he said quickly.

"Please? It would be fun, come on, take a break from your hard work," she simpered.

"Ehh, no, thanks. Why don't you ask Goyle? He likes learning new things." He said, slipping past her and dashing up the stairs to the common room door. Where could he read and write in peace?!

* * *

"O.K. Malfoy, just what are you up to?!" 

Draco Malfoy looked up from the book he had been reading to see a girl with long brown hair and brown eyes, that were flashing with annoyance, scowling down at him. He sighed inwardly.

Hermione Granger, just what he didn't need.

"Excuse me? Do you mind? This is a library and I'm trying to read,", the handsome blonde haired boy paid no attention to her and turned back to his book.

"Sure, like you're suddenly so interested in books?" She said skeptically, "what is it, The Alphabet for Beginners?"

"Har, har. Actually _no_. It's Philus Phortegue's Handbook of the Dark Arts,"

"Why are you reading that? You already know everything about the Dark Arts don't you Malfoy?" Hermione hissed in his ear, sitting down in the empty seat beside him.

"Granger, just because you think you know everything about my father doesn't mean you know _anything_ about me!" Draco whispered harshly back, and with that he slammed the book shut and stormed out of the library.

Hermione sat blinking for a few seconds, not quite understanding what had just happened. What was that all about? Why was Malfoy acting so strangely?

Glancing at the place he had just vacated, she noticed that he had left the book he'd been reading on the desk. She picked it up. Probably full of dark magic spells, she thought to herself. But she was curious, as she flicked through it she noticed one or two unusual looking paragraphs. Confused, she stood up and checked the book out of the library.


	3. Mystery with Malfoy

**The Bikedium Thread**

_The Bikedium Thread has long been a source of mystery to wizards. Some think it is merely legend but there is enough mention of it in tales of forgotten wars that to say it is is a figment of imagination would be wholey incorrect._

_The Bikedium is a piece of thing thread-like cord made of both silver and gold. The witch or wizard utilises the Bikedium by tying knots at different intervals along the cord. Each point on the cord has a different function and different combinations of knots will do different things, ranging from the ordinary to extraordinary._

_The Bikedium thread can create do ordinary magic such as moving objects or unlocking but it can also do much worse. It can be used for destruction, bombs, etc. It can make still images of people and things, it can destroy even the most powerful witch or wizard, but the reason it is most sought is it's ability to fiddle with death._

_No one has any idea where the Bikedium Thread is to be found despite many search attempts. It is seen as the most powerful and most elusive magical object and in the wrong hands the Bikedium thread could just about destroy civilisation._

Hermione closed the book and rubbed her eyes. Glancing at the clock she realised she'd been reading for 5 hours. It was very late, or maybe it was very early? What did you call 3 a.m.? It was the second time she had stayed up late reading Philus Phortegue's Handbook and despite knowing that she would be wrecked the next day she couldn't put the book down. When she'd picked it up from where Malfoy had left it she had expected it to be filled with advice on how to harness the dark arts but much to her suprise it had turned out to be more of a guide to dark objects, many of which she had never heard of.

The Bikedium Thread interested her the most. How had she never heard of it? But more importantly, why was Malfoy looking at this particular book? She couldn't see how it was of any use to him. So that left the burning question of what was Malfoy up to?

* * *

The following day Hermione went to return the book to the library. Madam Pince greeted her as she came in, "Ah, Miss Granger. Returning Phortegue's? Could you just pop it back under 'P'? i'm a little busy at the moment," she said, just as a scruffy lookin book snapped at the ruffles on her shirt.

As she wandered through the aisles Hermione thoughts drifted back to the interesting paragraphs in the handbook. In fact she was so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn't notice Draco Malfoy walking up the aisle from the opposite end, scanning book spines.

However, he noticed her. When he saw the red cover of the book in her hand he moved towards her. Just as Hermione's hand pushed the book onto the shelf, Draco's hand pulled it off it, their hands brushing in the process.

Startled, turned to find intent grey eyes on her.

"Checking what I'm reading Granger? Since when was that any of your business?"

"Never and I'm not. I was not. The book looked interesting that was all," she replied defiantly.

"And that _I_ left it behind the other day, didn't influence your decision to read it in the slightest?", Malfoy raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I..." she trailed off. How could she defend herself form the truth?

Malfoy smiled a small smile of triumph and with one last searching look, he sauntered off.

Hermione let out a deep breath and leaned against the wooden shelves. That was an...interesting conversation, she thought to herself. She could feel herself all flushed but she didn't know why. She remembered the tingling sensation when his hand had brushed hers. It had felt like she had been electrocuted. She thought back to the last look he'd given her. It had been almost questioning, as though there was something about her he couldn't quite figure out. But what?

* * *

Down in the Slytherin dormitories this was the exact same question Draco was asking himself. Why had he suddenly been struck with the thought that Hermione looked pretty when she was nervous? And when their hands had touched... Well he must be going mad if he actually thought there had been a spark. And anyway, a spark of what exactly? Attraction? It couldn't be... 


End file.
